SUE

Bad news.  Sue's condition has worsened to the point that she may die as soon as today.  Scott arrived early today, and he and Chris are with her now.  I plan to go back later this afternoon.  It is a very sad moment.  As you, Dear Readers, know Sue has put up valiant effort for more than twelve years fighting off debilitating health issues while still enjoying life, especially life at the lake house when she could get there.

With help from everyone, especially Linda, Sabrina, and Marnett, we are keeping vigil at Sue's bedside.  Our friend, Sandy, did an anointing ritual for Sue on Tuesday, just after the physicians told us of her dire condition.  The ritual was most fitting and much appreciated as well as perhaps divinely scheduled.

Sue's sons are fine, fine men, and their wonderful wives have been troopers through all this.  More detail about all that later.  Now, two short stories to illustrate just how much their mother influenced these two.  Brayden has a great friend who only gets to play sports, something both boys love above everything else, because Scott and Beth make it possible.  Scott and Chris and I were reminiscing recently about a kid they grew up with who had tons of opportunities only because Sue and the two of them made it possible.  History repeats itself.

The second story is about Chris.  Parking at Barnes-Jewish Hospital downtown has always been a problem.  Sue has been an in-patient there between 50 and 60 times, so we've really got the hang of it.    And it is a complicated system when you first engage it.  We know when to buy a five-pass card (which years ago sold for $5, now goes for $20).  It's great to have one though when a single park is $15 for a long stay.  This week Chris and I both bought new ones.  When Scott arrived from Louisville this morning, I suggested to Chris that Scott could use his five-pass card when he exited the garage.  Chris, rather sheepishly, said, "Well, I only have one pass left." "Why, Chris, you only bought that card yesterday?"  His response:  "Well, we used one for Linda yesterday, and when I was leaving last night there was an old man trying to process his parking ticket with a credit card.  I saw that it was $15 so I said, 'Here, just use this pass card.'  Then I went on to process my ticket.  There was another old man at the machine on the other side of me having trouble.  I saw his charge was $18, so I said, 'Here, just use this pass card.'  That means I only have one left."

Scott and Chris learned generosity from their mother.